Mexican cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Nopales en Penca

Whole cactus paddles seared on the comal, split open and filled with queso fresco, onion and salsa.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 large nopales (cactus paddles, or from a jar)
• 250 g queso fresco (or young Gouda)
• 1 white onion
• 400 g tomatoes
• 2 serrano chiles
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 2 limes
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Scrape the cactus paddles with the back of a knife to remove any thorns, trim the tough edge close, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
2. For the salsa, char the tomatoes and serrano chiles on the hot comal or in a dry pan for 8 min., turning until blistered black all over, then crush roughly with half the onion and the cilantro, and season with salt and the juice of one lime.
3. Heat the comal or a heavy pan until very hot, rub the paddles with the coarse sea salt and cook without fat for 5–6 min. per side, until the liquid has fully evaporated and dark grill marks appear.
4. Cut the cheese into finger-thick slices and shave the remaining onion into thin half-rings.
5. Slit each hot paddle lengthwise halfway through on the work surface, open it up and layer in cheese slices and onion rings, then close it and set it back on the comal for another 2 min. per side, until the cheese softens.
6. Drizzle the filled paddles with oil, spoon the salsa generously over the top and serve hot with wedges of the second lime.